Rise In Uk Women Investigated By Police For Illegal Abortions

The latest Home Office figures show that recorded abortion crimes rose from 28 in 2020 to 40 in 2021, up from just eight cases in 2012. Although the data does not provide a gender breakdown of the accused, experts fear there is an “upward trend” of vulnerable women facing criminal investigations. Jonathan Lord, medical director of MSI Reproductive Choices, one of the UK’s leading abortion providers, warned the situation was “very worrying and chilling”. Has this story affected you? If so, please email [email protected] The most recent government figures include recorded crimes for the three separate counts of illegal abortion, willful destruction of a viable unborn child and concealment of an infant’s death before birth. While the first two charges are punishable by life imprisonment, the latter carries a three-year prison term. Dr Lord, the co-chairman of the British Association of Abortion Care Providers, noted that the first of these charges dates back to 1861, while the second was created in 1929 and the third also dates from 1861. He added: “These ancient laws are completely unfit for purpose and we are calling for them to be repealed and for abortion care to be managed through healthcare regulations like any other medical treatment. Abortions are unique in that they are criminalized.” Some of the cases included in the government data could be related to investigations into abusive partners who forced a woman to have an abortion. But Dr Lord said: ‘We fear that most cases will involve investigations of women. It seems to be an upward trend. It’s very disturbing and creepy. “Women face the cruelty and anguish of an investigation after a pregnancy loss or termination, often waiting years to find out if they will be charged and prosecuted.” Dr Lord, consultant gynecologist at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, said the growing number of inquiries was an “unfortunate” by-product of “increasing numbers of women choosing medical abortions”, warning that this meant “there are suspicions discussed with prosecutors and police”. A medical abortion involves taking two pills, while a surgical abortion involves a medical procedure under general or local anesthesia. Before the pandemic, taking the first abortion pill, mifepristone, required a visit to an abortion clinic. However, due to Covid restrictions, the government has allowed the drug to be sent by post to be taken at home after a telephone consultation, a system referred to as ‘telemedicine’. While abortions are safe, it is preferable to have the procedure earlier in pregnancy. Government figures show that 14 percent of abortions were medically induced in 2002, while 87 percent of abortions were medically induced in 2021. Dr. Lord noted that as awareness of medical abortions has increased, pregnancy losses are viewed with increasing suspicion because of the awareness that someone may have been able to induce an abortion themselves. He added: “The law was originally created when there was no medical abortion. It was there to protect women from street surgical abortions that won’t always be safe, whereas medical abortions are apparently designed to be safe. “The same law still applies. Medical abortion at any stage of pregnancy is usually safe.” Dr Lord asked health professionals not to report women suspected of having illegal abortions to the police, suggesting that doing so breached patient-doctor confidentiality agreements as well as harming women’s trust in doctors. He believed the surge in research has been “fueled” in recent years by “abortion opponents” who are “so strongly against home abortion”. Dr Lord added: “The first thought from the authorities if there is an unusual stillbirth, which could well have happened quite naturally, perhaps that it could have been caused by abortion pills. “It has a chilling effect on how willing patients are to seek health care and how much they can trust medical teams. They then believe that the information they give in confidence could be used against them and forwarded to the police.” Dr Lord said the health care sector was “very clear” in its position that reporting women suspected of having an abortion to the police was never in the public interest. He called for the UK’s abortion laws to be repealed immediately and for “those who have been convicted to be recognized as victims and have their convictions overturned”. Abortion is still criminalized in England, Scotland and Wales under the Abortion Act 1967 and any woman who terminates a pregnancy without obtaining legal permission from two doctors, who must agree that continuing it would be dangerous to the physical or mental health of the woman. , could face up to life in prison. Health professionals who perform abortions outside the terms of the act may face criminal penalties. Commenting on the figures, Katherine O’Brien, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), told The Independent that the scrapping of early medical abortions at home had raised some people’s suspicions. He noted that while public awareness of the fact that the Abortion Act is criminalized is still quite low, over the last decade there has been greater recognition of how the law works, partly due to BPAS’s campaign to repeal the law. Ms O’Brien added: “This filters down to those who want to see women prosecuted. We are dealing with the police contacting BPAS for customer records and going on fishing trips when they have no evidence of illegal activity. They try to find these elements out of suspicion, rather than being rooted in reality. “I want to stress that this is an increasing trend in vulnerable women facing lengthy criminal investigations and unless there is action from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and MPs, this will only get worse and more women will face criminalization and criminal investigation.” The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) and the School of Sexual and Reproductive Health (FSRH) recently issued a statement demanding that the UK government decriminalize abortion. It comes after the Independent reported claims that a woman was held in police custody for 36 hours after the stillbirth on suspicion of having an abortion after the legal cut-off point. British abortion providers, who supported the woman, denied she had breached the legal deadline and warned the treatment she suffered “should be unthinkable in a civilized society”, with “no conceivable” public interest in keeping her. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade – the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973 – in late June. Millions of women in America subsequently lost their legal right to terminate a pregnancy. Representatives for NHS England and the National Council of Chief Police Officers have been contacted for comment. A CPS spokesman said: “Deciding to terminate your pregnancy is not a decision taken lightly. Those who do are often vulnerable, need support and some may have mental health problems. “Our prosecutors consider all of these factors when making extremely difficult decisions, according to our legal test. “The role of the CPS is to ensure that the law created by parliament is properly considered and applied in every case referred to us.”

title: “Rise In Uk Women Investigated By Police For Illegal Abortions Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-26” author: “Jim Borden”

The latest Home Office figures show that recorded abortion crimes rose from 28 in 2020 to 40 in 2021, up from just eight cases in 2012. Although the data does not provide a gender breakdown of the accused, experts fear there is an “upward trend” of vulnerable women facing criminal investigations. Jonathan Lord, medical director of MSI Reproductive Choices, one of the UK’s leading abortion providers, warned the situation was “very worrying and chilling”. Has this story affected you? If so, please email [email protected] The most recent government figures include recorded crimes for the three separate counts of illegal abortion, willful destruction of a viable unborn child and concealment of an infant’s death before birth. While the first two charges are punishable by life imprisonment, the latter carries a three-year prison term. Dr Lord, the co-chairman of the British Association of Abortion Care Providers, noted that the first of these charges dates back to 1861, while the second was created in 1929 and the third also dates from 1861. He added: “These ancient laws are completely unfit for purpose and we are calling for them to be repealed and for abortion care to be managed through healthcare regulations like any other medical treatment. Abortions are unique in that they are criminalized.” Some of the cases included in the government data could be related to investigations into abusive partners who forced a woman to have an abortion. But Dr Lord said: ‘We fear that most cases will involve investigations of women. It seems to be an upward trend. It’s very disturbing and creepy. “Women face the cruelty and anguish of an investigation after a pregnancy loss or termination, often waiting years to find out if they will be charged and prosecuted.” Dr Lord, consultant gynecologist at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, said the growing number of inquiries was an “unfortunate” by-product of “increasing numbers of women choosing medical abortions”, warning that this meant “there are suspicions discussed with prosecutors and police”. A medical abortion involves taking two pills, while a surgical abortion involves a medical procedure under general or local anesthesia. Before the pandemic, taking the first abortion pill, mifepristone, required a visit to an abortion clinic. However, due to Covid restrictions, the government has allowed the drug to be sent by post to be taken at home after a telephone consultation, a system referred to as ‘telemedicine’. While abortions are safe, it is preferable to have the procedure earlier in pregnancy. Government figures show that 14 percent of abortions were medically induced in 2002, while 87 percent of abortions were medically induced in 2021. Dr. Lord noted that as awareness of medical abortions has increased, pregnancy losses are viewed with increasing suspicion because of the awareness that someone may have been able to induce an abortion themselves. He added: “The law was originally created when there was no medical abortion. It was there to protect women from street surgical abortions that won’t always be safe, whereas medical abortions are apparently designed to be safe. “The same law still applies. Medical abortion at any stage of pregnancy is usually safe.” Dr Lord asked health professionals not to report women suspected of having illegal abortions to the police, suggesting that doing so breached patient-doctor confidentiality agreements as well as harming women’s trust in doctors. He believed the surge in research has been “fueled” in recent years by “abortion opponents” who are “so strongly against home abortion”. Dr Lord added: “The first thought from the authorities if there is an unusual stillbirth, which could well have happened quite naturally, perhaps that it could have been caused by abortion pills. “It has a chilling effect on how willing patients are to seek health care and how much they can trust medical teams. They then believe that the information they give in confidence could be used against them and forwarded to the police.” Dr Lord said the health care sector was “very clear” in its position that reporting women suspected of having an abortion to the police was never in the public interest. He called for the UK’s abortion laws to be repealed immediately and for “those who have been convicted to be recognized as victims and have their convictions overturned”. Abortion is still criminalized in England, Scotland and Wales under the Abortion Act 1967 and any woman who terminates a pregnancy without obtaining legal permission from two doctors, who must agree that continuing it would be dangerous to the physical or mental health of the woman. , could face up to life in prison. Health professionals who perform abortions outside the terms of the act may face criminal penalties. Commenting on the figures, Katherine O’Brien, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), told The Independent that the scrapping of early medical abortions at home had raised some people’s suspicions. He noted that while public awareness of the fact that the Abortion Act is criminalized is still quite low, over the last decade there has been greater recognition of how the law works, partly due to BPAS’s campaign to repeal the law. Ms O’Brien added: “This filters down to those who want to see women prosecuted. We are dealing with the police contacting BPAS for customer records and going on fishing trips when they have no evidence of illegal activity. They try to find these elements out of suspicion, rather than being rooted in reality. “I want to stress that this is an increasing trend in vulnerable women facing lengthy criminal investigations and unless there is action from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and MPs, this will only get worse and more women will face criminalization and criminal investigation.” The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) and the School of Sexual and Reproductive Health (FSRH) recently issued a statement demanding that the UK government decriminalize abortion. It comes after the Independent reported claims that a woman was held in police custody for 36 hours after the stillbirth on suspicion of having an abortion after the legal cut-off point. British abortion providers, who supported the woman, denied she had breached the legal deadline and warned the treatment she suffered “should be unthinkable in a civilized society”, with “no conceivable” public interest in keeping her. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade – the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973 – in late June. Millions of women in America subsequently lost their legal right to terminate a pregnancy. Representatives for NHS England and the National Council of Chief Police Officers have been contacted for comment. A CPS spokesman said: “Deciding to terminate your pregnancy is not a decision taken lightly. Those who do are often vulnerable, need support and some may have mental health problems. “Our prosecutors consider all of these factors when making extremely difficult decisions, according to our legal test. “The role of the CPS is to ensure that the law created by parliament is properly considered and applied in every case referred to us.”

title: “Rise In Uk Women Investigated By Police For Illegal Abortions Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-23” author: “Melissa Scherrer”

The latest Home Office figures show that recorded abortion crimes rose from 28 in 2020 to 40 in 2021, up from just eight cases in 2012. Although the data does not provide a gender breakdown of the accused, experts fear there is an “upward trend” of vulnerable women facing criminal investigations. Jonathan Lord, medical director of MSI Reproductive Choices, one of the UK’s leading abortion providers, warned the situation was “very worrying and chilling”. Has this story affected you? If so, please email [email protected] The most recent government figures include recorded crimes for the three separate counts of illegal abortion, willful destruction of a viable unborn child and concealment of an infant’s death before birth. While the first two charges are punishable by life imprisonment, the latter carries a three-year prison term. Dr Lord, the co-chairman of the British Association of Abortion Care Providers, noted that the first of these charges dates back to 1861, while the second was created in 1929 and the third also dates from 1861. He added: “These ancient laws are completely unfit for purpose and we are calling for them to be repealed and for abortion care to be managed through healthcare regulations like any other medical treatment. Abortions are unique in that they are criminalized.” Some of the cases included in the government data could be related to investigations into abusive partners who forced a woman to have an abortion. But Dr Lord said: ‘We fear that most cases will involve investigations of women. It seems to be an upward trend. It’s very disturbing and creepy. “Women face the cruelty and anguish of an investigation after a pregnancy loss or termination, often waiting years to find out if they will be charged and prosecuted.” Dr Lord, consultant gynecologist at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, said the growing number of inquiries was an “unfortunate” by-product of “increasing numbers of women choosing medical abortions”, warning that this meant “there are suspicions discussed with prosecutors and police”. A medical abortion involves taking two pills, while a surgical abortion involves a medical procedure under general or local anesthesia. Before the pandemic, taking the first abortion pill, mifepristone, required a visit to an abortion clinic. However, due to Covid restrictions, the government has allowed the drug to be sent by post to be taken at home after a telephone consultation, a system referred to as ‘telemedicine’. While abortions are safe, it is preferable to have the procedure earlier in pregnancy. Government figures show that 14 percent of abortions were medically induced in 2002, while 87 percent of abortions were medically induced in 2021. Dr. Lord noted that as awareness of medical abortions has increased, pregnancy losses are viewed with increasing suspicion because of the awareness that someone may have been able to induce an abortion themselves. He added: “The law was originally created when there was no medical abortion. It was there to protect women from street surgical abortions that won’t always be safe, whereas medical abortions are apparently designed to be safe. “The same law still applies. Medical abortion at any stage of pregnancy is usually safe.” Dr Lord asked health professionals not to report women suspected of having illegal abortions to the police, suggesting that doing so breached patient-doctor confidentiality agreements as well as harming women’s trust in doctors. He believed the surge in research has been “fueled” in recent years by “abortion opponents” who are “so strongly against home abortion”. Dr Lord added: “The first thought from the authorities if there is an unusual stillbirth, which could well have happened quite naturally, perhaps that it could have been caused by abortion pills. “It has a chilling effect on how willing patients are to seek health care and how much they can trust medical teams. They then believe that the information they give in confidence could be used against them and forwarded to the police.” Dr Lord said the health care sector was “very clear” in its position that reporting women suspected of having an abortion to the police was never in the public interest. He called for the UK’s abortion laws to be repealed immediately and for “those who have been convicted to be recognized as victims and have their convictions overturned”. Abortion is still criminalized in England, Scotland and Wales under the Abortion Act 1967 and any woman who terminates a pregnancy without obtaining legal permission from two doctors, who must agree that continuing it would be dangerous to the physical or mental health of the woman. , could face up to life in prison. Health professionals who perform abortions outside the terms of the act may face criminal penalties. Commenting on the figures, Katherine O’Brien, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), told The Independent that the scrapping of early medical abortions at home had raised some people’s suspicions. He noted that while public awareness of the fact that the Abortion Act is criminalized is still quite low, over the last decade there has been greater recognition of how the law works, partly due to BPAS’s campaign to repeal the law. Ms O’Brien added: “This filters down to those who want to see women prosecuted. We are dealing with the police contacting BPAS for customer records and going on fishing trips when they have no evidence of illegal activity. They try to find these elements out of suspicion, rather than being rooted in reality. “I want to stress that this is an increasing trend in vulnerable women facing lengthy criminal investigations and unless there is action from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and MPs, this will only get worse and more women will face criminalization and criminal investigation.” The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) and the School of Sexual and Reproductive Health (FSRH) recently issued a statement demanding that the UK government decriminalize abortion. It comes after the Independent reported claims that a woman was held in police custody for 36 hours after the stillbirth on suspicion of having an abortion after the legal cut-off point. British abortion providers, who supported the woman, denied she had breached the legal deadline and warned the treatment she suffered “should be unthinkable in a civilized society”, with “no conceivable” public interest in keeping her. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade – the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973 – in late June. Millions of women in America subsequently lost their legal right to terminate a pregnancy. Representatives for NHS England and the National Council of Chief Police Officers have been contacted for comment. A CPS spokesman said: “Deciding to terminate your pregnancy is not a decision taken lightly. Those who do are often vulnerable, need support and some may have mental health problems. “Our prosecutors consider all of these factors when making extremely difficult decisions, according to our legal test. “The role of the CPS is to ensure that the law created by parliament is properly considered and applied in every case referred to us.”

title: “Rise In Uk Women Investigated By Police For Illegal Abortions Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-21” author: “Agnes Knight”

The latest Home Office figures show that recorded abortion crimes rose from 28 in 2020 to 40 in 2021, up from just eight cases in 2012. Although the data does not provide a gender breakdown of the accused, experts fear there is an “upward trend” of vulnerable women facing criminal investigations. Jonathan Lord, medical director of MSI Reproductive Choices, one of the UK’s leading abortion providers, warned the situation was “very worrying and chilling”. Has this story affected you? If so, please email [email protected] The most recent government figures include recorded crimes for the three separate counts of illegal abortion, willful destruction of a viable unborn child and concealment of an infant’s death before birth. While the first two charges are punishable by life imprisonment, the latter carries a three-year prison term. Dr Lord, the co-chairman of the British Association of Abortion Care Providers, noted that the first of these charges dates back to 1861, while the second was created in 1929 and the third also dates from 1861. He added: “These ancient laws are completely unfit for purpose and we are calling for them to be repealed and for abortion care to be managed through healthcare regulations like any other medical treatment. Abortions are unique in that they are criminalized.” Some of the cases included in the government data could be related to investigations into abusive partners who forced a woman to have an abortion. But Dr Lord said: ‘We fear that most cases will involve investigations of women. It seems to be an upward trend. It’s very disturbing and creepy. “Women face the cruelty and anguish of an investigation after a pregnancy loss or termination, often waiting years to find out if they will be charged and prosecuted.” Dr Lord, consultant gynecologist at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, said the growing number of inquiries was an “unfortunate” by-product of “increasing numbers of women choosing medical abortions”, warning that this meant “there are suspicions discussed with prosecutors and police”. A medical abortion involves taking two pills, while a surgical abortion involves a medical procedure under general or local anesthesia. Before the pandemic, taking the first abortion pill, mifepristone, required a visit to an abortion clinic. However, due to Covid restrictions, the government has allowed the drug to be sent by post to be taken at home after a telephone consultation, a system referred to as ‘telemedicine’. While abortions are safe, it is preferable to have the procedure earlier in pregnancy. Government figures show that 14 percent of abortions were medically induced in 2002, while 87 percent of abortions were medically induced in 2021. Dr. Lord noted that as awareness of medical abortions has increased, pregnancy losses are viewed with increasing suspicion because of the awareness that someone may have been able to induce an abortion themselves. He added: “The law was originally created when there was no medical abortion. It was there to protect women from street surgical abortions that won’t always be safe, whereas medical abortions are apparently designed to be safe. “The same law still applies. Medical abortion at any stage of pregnancy is usually safe.” Dr Lord asked health professionals not to report women suspected of having illegal abortions to the police, suggesting that doing so breached patient-doctor confidentiality agreements as well as harming women’s trust in doctors. He believed the surge in research has been “fueled” in recent years by “abortion opponents” who are “so strongly against home abortion”. Dr Lord added: “The first thought from the authorities if there is an unusual stillbirth, which could well have happened quite naturally, perhaps that it could have been caused by abortion pills. “It has a chilling effect on how willing patients are to seek health care and how much they can trust medical teams. They then believe that the information they give in confidence could be used against them and forwarded to the police.” Dr Lord said the health care sector was “very clear” in its position that reporting women suspected of having an abortion to the police was never in the public interest. He called for the UK’s abortion laws to be repealed immediately and for “those who have been convicted to be recognized as victims and have their convictions overturned”. Abortion is still criminalized in England, Scotland and Wales under the Abortion Act 1967 and any woman who terminates a pregnancy without obtaining legal permission from two doctors, who must agree that continuing it would be dangerous to the physical or mental health of the woman. , could face up to life in prison. Health professionals who perform abortions outside the terms of the act may face criminal penalties. Commenting on the figures, Katherine O’Brien, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), told The Independent that the scrapping of early medical abortions at home had raised some people’s suspicions. He noted that while public awareness of the fact that the Abortion Act is criminalized is still quite low, over the last decade there has been greater recognition of how the law works, partly due to BPAS’s campaign to repeal the law. Ms O’Brien added: “This filters down to those who want to see women prosecuted. We are dealing with the police contacting BPAS for customer records and going on fishing trips when they have no evidence of illegal activity. They try to find these elements out of suspicion, rather than being rooted in reality. “I want to stress that this is an increasing trend in vulnerable women facing lengthy criminal investigations and unless there is action from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and MPs, this will only get worse and more women will face criminalization and criminal investigation.” The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) and the School of Sexual and Reproductive Health (FSRH) recently issued a statement demanding that the UK government decriminalize abortion. It comes after the Independent reported claims that a woman was held in police custody for 36 hours after the stillbirth on suspicion of having an abortion after the legal cut-off point. British abortion providers, who supported the woman, denied she had breached the legal deadline and warned the treatment she suffered “should be unthinkable in a civilized society”, with “no conceivable” public interest in keeping her. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade – the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973 – in late June. Millions of women in America subsequently lost their legal right to terminate a pregnancy. Representatives for NHS England and the National Council of Chief Police Officers have been contacted for comment. A CPS spokesman said: “Deciding to terminate your pregnancy is not a decision taken lightly. Those who do are often vulnerable, need support and some may have mental health problems. “Our prosecutors consider all of these factors when making extremely difficult decisions, according to our legal test. “The role of the CPS is to ensure that the law created by parliament is properly considered and applied in every case referred to us.”

title: “Rise In Uk Women Investigated By Police For Illegal Abortions Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-13” author: “David Mounts”

The latest Home Office figures show that recorded abortion crimes rose from 28 in 2020 to 40 in 2021, up from just eight cases in 2012. Although the data does not provide a gender breakdown of the accused, experts fear there is an “upward trend” of vulnerable women facing criminal investigations. Jonathan Lord, medical director of MSI Reproductive Choices, one of the UK’s leading abortion providers, warned the situation was “very worrying and chilling”. Has this story affected you? If so, please email [email protected] The most recent government figures include recorded crimes for the three separate counts of illegal abortion, willful destruction of a viable unborn child and concealment of an infant’s death before birth. While the first two charges are punishable by life imprisonment, the latter carries a three-year prison term. Dr Lord, the co-chairman of the British Association of Abortion Care Providers, noted that the first of these charges dates back to 1861, while the second was created in 1929 and the third also dates from 1861. He added: “These ancient laws are completely unfit for purpose and we are calling for them to be repealed and for abortion care to be managed through healthcare regulations like any other medical treatment. Abortions are unique in that they are criminalized.” Some of the cases included in the government data could be related to investigations into abusive partners who forced a woman to have an abortion. But Dr Lord said: ‘We fear that most cases will involve investigations of women. It seems to be an upward trend. It’s very disturbing and creepy. “Women face the cruelty and anguish of an investigation after a pregnancy loss or termination, often waiting years to find out if they will be charged and prosecuted.” Dr Lord, consultant gynecologist at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust, said the growing number of inquiries was an “unfortunate” by-product of “increasing numbers of women choosing medical abortions”, warning that this meant “there are suspicions discussed with prosecutors and police”. A medical abortion involves taking two pills, while a surgical abortion involves a medical procedure under general or local anesthesia. Before the pandemic, taking the first abortion pill, mifepristone, required a visit to an abortion clinic. However, due to Covid restrictions, the government has allowed the drug to be sent by post to be taken at home after a telephone consultation, a system referred to as ‘telemedicine’. While abortions are safe, it is preferable to have the procedure earlier in pregnancy. Government figures show that 14 percent of abortions were medically induced in 2002, while 87 percent of abortions were medically induced in 2021. Dr. Lord noted that as awareness of medical abortions has increased, pregnancy losses are viewed with increasing suspicion because of the awareness that someone may have been able to induce an abortion themselves. He added: “The law was originally created when there was no medical abortion. It was there to protect women from street surgical abortions that won’t always be safe, whereas medical abortions are apparently designed to be safe. “The same law still applies. Medical abortion at any stage of pregnancy is usually safe.” Dr Lord asked health professionals not to report women suspected of having illegal abortions to the police, suggesting that doing so breached patient-doctor confidentiality agreements as well as harming women’s trust in doctors. He believed the surge in research has been “fueled” in recent years by “abortion opponents” who are “so strongly against home abortion”. Dr Lord added: “The first thought from the authorities if there is an unusual stillbirth, which could well have happened quite naturally, perhaps that it could have been caused by abortion pills. “It has a chilling effect on how willing patients are to seek health care and how much they can trust medical teams. They then believe that the information they give in confidence could be used against them and forwarded to the police.” Dr Lord said the health care sector was “very clear” in its position that reporting women suspected of having an abortion to the police was never in the public interest. He called for the UK’s abortion laws to be repealed immediately and for “those who have been convicted to be recognized as victims and have their convictions overturned”. Abortion is still criminalized in England, Scotland and Wales under the Abortion Act 1967 and any woman who terminates a pregnancy without obtaining legal permission from two doctors, who must agree that continuing it would be dangerous to the physical or mental health of the woman. , could face up to life in prison. Health professionals who perform abortions outside the terms of the act may face criminal penalties. Commenting on the figures, Katherine O’Brien, of the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), told The Independent that the scrapping of early medical abortions at home had raised some people’s suspicions. He noted that while public awareness of the fact that the Abortion Act is criminalized is still quite low, over the last decade there has been greater recognition of how the law works, partly due to BPAS’s campaign to repeal the law. Ms O’Brien added: “This filters down to those who want to see women prosecuted. We are dealing with the police contacting BPAS for customer records and going on fishing trips when they have no evidence of illegal activity. They try to find these elements out of suspicion, rather than being rooted in reality. “I want to stress that this is an increasing trend in vulnerable women facing lengthy criminal investigations and unless there is action from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and MPs, this will only get worse and more women will face criminalization and criminal investigation.” The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) and the School of Sexual and Reproductive Health (FSRH) recently issued a statement demanding that the UK government decriminalize abortion. It comes after the Independent reported claims that a woman was held in police custody for 36 hours after the stillbirth on suspicion of having an abortion after the legal cut-off point. British abortion providers, who supported the woman, denied she had breached the legal deadline and warned the treatment she suffered “should be unthinkable in a civilized society”, with “no conceivable” public interest in keeping her. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade – the landmark decision that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973 – in late June. Millions of women in America subsequently lost their legal right to terminate a pregnancy. Representatives for NHS England and the National Council of Chief Police Officers have been contacted for comment. A CPS spokesman said: “Deciding to terminate your pregnancy is not a decision taken lightly. Those who do are often vulnerable, need support and some may have mental health problems. “Our prosecutors consider all of these factors when making extremely difficult decisions, according to our legal test. “The role of the CPS is to ensure that the law created by parliament is properly considered and applied in every case referred to us.”